The biggest question in Lanterns is no longer simply who killed Hal Jordan. John now has a way to actually investigate the murder, thanks to the Green Lantern ring he secretly took from Hal’s grave. The next episode is likely to pick up with Hal’s backup consciousness, or Halogram, trying to understand what happened to his real self. The trailer has already shown that Halogram will return and push John to investigate his own murder, so their old relationship is likely to come back with all the usual arguments and sarcasm.
The interesting part is that Hal may be able to provide information John never had. Since the Halogram contains an earlier version of Hal's consciousness, he could remember details about his final days or recognize something about the people involved in his death. John may not trust everything Hal says, especially considering how badly their last conversation ended, but having Hal's voice guiding the investigation could finally give him a lead.
I also expect John to become an obvious suspect as the investigation continues. We already know he punched Hal shortly before his death, and John has kept that detail from Kerry. Maggie is also still holding the information over his head, so John has another problem that could explode at the worst possible moment. The longer he keeps his secret, the harder it will be to convince anyone that he had nothing to do with Hal's death.
The locked vault Hal left behind should also become much more important. John has already discovered that Hal was hiding something, and now that he has access to Halogram, getting into the vault could finally reveal what Hal was investigating before he died. Whatever is inside may connect the murder to the strange events surrounding Rushville rather than making it look like an isolated killing.
Sinestro is another major piece of the puzzle. Guy revealed that someone broke him out of prison, and that escape cannot be random. The upcoming episode could finally explain who helped Sinestro and what they want from him.
I would also expect Guy Gardner to remain involved, even if he continues pretending that Hal's murder is not his problem. John has already made it clear that Guy owes him, and Guy now has a personal connection to the situation because he is carrying the Green Lantern mantle John once refused. Their relationship could become especially interesting if John starts realizing that leaving the Corps behind may not be as simple as he thought.
Most importantly, I think Episode 7 will begin connecting the different mysteries that have been sitting separately for so long. Hal's murder, the Manhunter story, Sinestro's escape and the strange events surrounding the Lanterns may turn out to be pieces of the same larger mystery. John thought he was coming back to Rushville to investigate one death, but he may discover that Hal was killed because he got too close to something much bigger.
By the end of the episode, I expect John to have his first serious suspect and a clearer idea of what Hal was working on before he died. But rather than solving the mystery completely, the episode will probably reveal something that makes Hal's death even more complicated.
Read more: Lanterns Season 1 Episode 6 Recap: John Stewart Brings Hal Jordan Back
